Congress, SP leaders to fight together in UP polls, BJP says alliance will not yield results

LUCKNOW, (IANS): Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Sunday expressed confidence about contesting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections together, even as discussions over seat-sharing continue, while the Bharatioya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the viability of the alliance and said the coming together of more opposition parties would benefit it.

Speaking to IANS, Congress leader Abhishek Dutt said the party's organisational preparations were underway across all 403 Assembly constituencies and that the final decision on seat-sharing would be taken by the senior leadership after discussions with SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav.

"Look, my responsibility and that of my fellow co-in-charges is to work across all 403 Assembly constituencies. Whatever decision the party takes regarding the number of seats, our senior leaders will discuss it with Akhilesh Yadav. Once a decision is made, we will all work together across the constituencies. We are going to defeat the BJP together," Dutt added.

He also criticised parties that, according to him, extend support to the BJP during elections but remain absent afterwards.

"It is not right to appear only during elections and disappear afterwards," he added.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari welcomed Akhilesh Yadav's remarks about the two parties contesting the elections together, saying their coordination in Parliament had demonstrated the benefits of working jointly.

"Look, I will not say anything about the numbers or which seats, but I welcome Akhilesh ji's statement that both of us will contest together. We fought together in Parliament and benefited from it. We will fight together in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and form the government in the state," Tiwari said.

Referring to the previous electoral performance of the Congress-SP alliance, the Congress MP added that the two parties had secured 47 seats together and expressed confidence about their prospects if they remained united.

"Look, our (Congress') alliance with Akhilesh ji's party won 47 seats; if it is the same ratio, then things have gone worse. We will definitely win if we are in alliance," Tiwari said.

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said discussions between the two parties were underway and expressed hope that they would arrive at an arrangement acceptable to both sides.

"I am not privy to what is happening. Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress leadership are in conversation—in an honest conversation. And I hope in the honest conversation, if we have an honest arrangement, then we will stand to win that election in Uttar Pradesh. I just pray and hope for the best," Khurshid added.

BJP spokesperson T.R. Srinivas, speaking to IANS, said the alliance would not pose a challenge to the BJP, saying that Congress had a weak record in direct electoral contests against it.

"The more parties come together, the better for us. Congress has a poor record in direct contests against the BJP, and our strike rate is higher in such fights. Akhilesh Yadav does not fully trust Congress to win seats on its own. This alliance will not produce any results, as seen in the past, because both the Congress and Samajwadi Party try to divide people based on caste lines and religious lines," Srinivas added.

He added that voters would assess the BJP government on its record in development, investment, employment generation and infrastructure.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Anand Dubey also questioned the Congress' bargaining position, saying that the party had not formed a government in Uttar Pradesh for several decades.

"Congress party has not been in power in Uttar Pradesh since 1989. That means it has been nearly 36–37 years since the Congress party had a Chief Minister there. And not only do they not have a Chief Minister, they are not even the main Opposition party. So, when they have nothing at all, does it hold any meaning no matter how many seats they demand? It has no meaning," Dubey said.

NCP-SP National Spokesperson Naseem Siddiqui, meanwhile, defended coalition politics as an integral part of Parliamentary democracy but questioned the reported demand for 181 Assembly seats by the Congress for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls scheduled early next year.

Referring to the coalition governments led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the current government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddiqui said alliances between parties with different ideologies were a legitimate feature of democracy.

"At the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the government was formed with the help of a 22-party coalition; even today, at the time of PM Modi, such coalitions are forming the government. Coalition in democracy is valid. This is part of democracy, that different ideologies come together to form the government," he added.

Siddiqui said the Samajwadi Party remained the largest political force in Uttar Pradesh and added that the Congress should seek a seat allocation proportionate to its organisational strength.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is the biggest force, but I don't think that Congress asking for 181 Assembly seats is justified, because Congress doesn't have that strong a hold in Uttar Pradesh. They can ask for 50 or 100, but not 181," he added.

The Congress and Samajwadi Party are currently discussing seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The Congress is reported to have sought 181 seats, while the Samajwadi Party is understood to be expecting the party to settle for around 50 to 60 constituencies.